Seminarians interrupt exams in Rome to attend funeral

Bishop David Choby celebrates the Rite of Candidacy for seminarians Luke Wilgenbush, second from right, and Rhodes Bolster, at the Cathedral of the Incarnation June 29, 2015. Father Michael Fye assists at the Mass. Both seminarians were close with Bishop Choby and traveled from Rome to attend his June 10 funeral. Tennessee Register file photo by Rick Musacchio

When seminarians Rhodes Bolster and Luke Wilgenbusch, who are studying in Rome, heard that Bishop David Choby had died, they were in the middle of their exams.

But they were determined to get back home to Nashville for the funeral and burial of their bishop, friend and mentor.

“Bishop Choby is such an important part of why I wanted to be a seminarian. He did so much to support me,” Wilgenbusch said. “He left the example of doing whatever it takes for people. This is something he would have done.”

Exams for the seminarians in Rome are spread over three weeks, and word of Bishop Choby’s death came at the end of the first week. When they talked to the administrators of the North American College, where they live, about returning to Nashville for the funeral, they were told they have to complete their exams this month.

“We’ll do whatever it takes,” was their answer, Bolster said.

The two seminarians completed their second week of exams by Wednesday, June 7, and flew to Nashville on Thursday. They were able to attend the visitation for the bishop on Friday at St. John Vianney Church in Gallatin, and then participated in the funeral Mass on Saturday, June 10, at Sagrado Corazon Church in the Catholic Pastoral Center, and attended the burial at Calvary Cemetery.

They then flew back to Rome on Monday, June 12, finished their final three exams on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and flew back to Nashville on Friday to begin their summer assignments – Wilgenbusch at St. John Vianney and Bolster at St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro.

There wasn’t really a question of whether to come to Bishop Choby’s funeral, Bolster said.

Priests are to serve as spiritual fathers, and for Bishop Choby “that was huge,” Bolster said. “He confirmed me, I was a server for him. Those times of being with him were a huge factor in my decision to go to the seminary. It was really like your father dying.

“He led in a way that encourages and challenges and fired you up all at the same time,” Bolster said.